Ao3 story (Why would you ever kiss me)

Part 18

Yeah. Mike didn't sleep that night. The evidence of that was obvious to Nancy, who was woken up two hours before her alarm clock. She groaned, glaring at the perpetrator.

"What the hell, Mike? It's five in the morning."

"Exactly, it's morning. You promised."

She turned away from him and started to fall back asleep. She was not getting up before the sun even rose. Besides, Mike wouldn't have a ride without her. Unless he walked to the hospital. She wouldn't put it past him.

Nancy didn't really care to think about the logistics. She was too tired.

But the moment she felt water splash onto her face, she was awake. And honestly shocked by his audacity. "You're not serious." She spoke lowly. Her voice as deadly as she could make it.

I want to beat the shit out of you.

"Dead serious." Mike said with a pissy little grin on his stupid ass face.

"Well," Nancy picked up her covers and slapped them back onto the bed. "Now you're going to have to wait longer, because I need to blow dry my hair now." She shot him a mean smile as she stomped to the bathroom. All the while he looked like he wanted to fight her.

"Okay, please hurry."

She stuck her tongue out at him.

Now that he was older it was easier to annoy him. And it was honestly fun getting back at him for all the years he'd annoyed her. Maybe now wasn't the time for it, considering everything that was going on. But he was the one who poured a cup of water over her head.

She started brushing her teeth and nearly jumped when she saw the reflection of Mike behind her in the doorway. He was the epitome of impatience. She shut the door with her foot.

He was so wordlessly mean sometimes.

And sometimes when she looked at him she found herself mourning the younger version of him.

Because one day he'd spoken at the dinner table and she didn't hear the voice of her little brother. And then suddenly he was an inch taller than her and he wasn't even done growing. It was like she was moving into a new era. Her brother was growing up.

The little person he was before was gone. Still there, but gone. She wished she'd talked to that version of him more. Because now he never opened up. And there was clearly a lot on his mind. She could see it in the way he stayed holed up in his room or the basement. The hunch of his shoulders, like he was slowly caving in on himself. Even the cadence of his words. But he never shared anything. Maybe that would've been different if I'd spoken to him more in those formative years. Or been nicer.

Or maybe I always would've failed at being a big sister.

At least I'm doing this for him. Driving him somewhere.

To be honest that alone sounded pretty pathetic. But she did drive him everywhere.

Though... the moment he starts driving we'll never see each other. And I'm going off to college. I'll be home for the holidays, sure, but what if he changes so much that when I come home we have nothing to talk about. We've never had anything in common.

No worries though, the world might just end before you and your brother become completely estranged from each other.

That didn't make her feel better.

Mike was already waiting outside for her when she was done getting ready. His back was leaning up against her car, a deep scowl on his face as he stared at the concrete like the cracks in it were an equation. When did that endearing, albeit annoying kid, disappear and become this tragic, gangly, tall thing that only needed her for rides?